For those about to Pop

by JOHNSON CUMMINS

The biggest and best music festival in Montreal, Pop Montreal, starts this coming Wednesday, Sept. 30, and I’m trembling in fear of the impending hangovers, ear-ringing and inevitable overall havoc it will wreak on my immune system. Before we look ahead, though, I would like to hip you to one the best shows I’ve seen this year (along with Wolves in the Throne Room way back in May). It was the Ex with Ethiopian saxophone giant Getatchew Mekuria at la Sala Rossa on Monday, Sept. 14, the first night of their two nights here. The Ex have consistently released some of the most original sounding records to come out of the post-punk scene, but it’s in a live context that they’ve always truly shined. Matched with the energy of Mekuria, the band were able to get as angular as they always have, but without even a hint of angst, as they latched onto the sinewy Ethiopian songs with authority. I would hardly call the Ex sidemen, but even with their brass section in tow, this was definitely Mekuria’s show. In fact, one of the many highlights was an unaccompanied solo by Mekuria that had the goosebumps standing at attention. I wasn’t the only one in the room who was floored—even the most callous were forced to slap sloppy grins on their mugs during this hour-long celebration of pure, unadulterated joy. Truly inspiring.

With three reunited bands—Butthole Surfers (next week!), Jesus Lizard and Six Finger Satellite—all coming to town before the year’s end, I won’t cast my vote for the show of the year just yet, but…

For those of you waiting to get your Pop on, there are some great shows happening this week to get ya there. Tonight, Sept. 24, you can check out the countrified twang of Phil Hamelin & the Enablers with Eddie Black and the Honky Tonk Heartbreakers at Quai des Brumes. At the Green Room tonight is the dark ambience and blackened psych of Menace Ruine with Wipers cover band Grand Trine—be afraid.

On Friday, you can check out the doom and gloom of Downtrodden with the Sleep at Katacombes, and on Saturday, it’s Montreal’s busiest band Many Mental Mistakes with les Necrophiliacs at l’Escogriffe. Also happening on Saturday night is the Montreal Chaos Fest with Dirty Birds, Abirato, Sale Gauloise and Deadly Pale at Katacombes. Sunday night proves to be a busy Sabbath with U.K.’s Alehammer (ex-Extinction of Mankind), Contagium and Fatal Flaw at Katacombes, while a couple of blocks over at Foufounes Électriques are death metal legends Obituary with Goatwhore, Krisiun, the Berzerker and Warbringer.

Wednesday, the first night of Pop, doesn’t create too many schedule headaches, and a safe start for the fest is checking out It Might Get Loud, the rock doc featuring Jimmy Page, the Edge and Jack White, at Cinema du Parc at 7 p.m. Outside of hipster hoppers Ninjasonik at Club Lambi at 11 p.m., the place to be for the first night of Pop is la Sala Rossa for the always amazing Jay Reatard, Box Elders, Hunx and His Punx, Nobunny (don’t miss!) and Useless Eaters.

KEEP YER PEEPS HERE FOR MY POP PICKS NEXT WEEK! JONATHAN.CUMMINS@GMAIL.COM